For a commuter who must drive through busy streets and highways in order to get home or get to work, knowing the traffic condition of the roads that lead to his destination is immensely useful. Having traffic information enables the commuter to identify the least congested route or to select the fastest route, not to mention saving time, saving fuel, and avoiding stress. However, before such traffic information can be made available to the commuter, the information must first be generated and collected.
Some providers generate such information by using traffic data collected in the past. Historical data is inexpensive to obtain since they need not be collected in real time and can be obtained from data storages. Historical data can also be reasonably useful, assuming traffic condition of today does not deviate greatly from historical averages for similar days in the past. However, historical traffic data is not real-time traffic data. It does not reflect real time traffic events such as an accident that just occurred minutes ago and is clogging up traffic right now.
It is far more useful to have traffic information that is generated based on data collected in real time. However, it is expensive to collect real time traffic data. In order to collect real time traffic data, some provider use stationary observation sensors to determine traffic flow at certain locations. Others rely on professional traffic reporter who actively report traffic conditions on the road they are traveling. This type of real time traffic information is expensive to collect. It is also difficult to provide thorough coverage of the traffic condition because it is expensive to have professional traffic reporters on all roads.
What is needed is a traffic data collection system that inexpensively provides thorough coverage of the roads. Such system can collect traffic data from devices that are already ubiquitous such as mobile phones. Such system preferably collects traffic data in a way that would not interfere with the normal usage of such devices.